Strategic Priorities

The Canadian Council on Ecological Areas is well positioned to meet the protected area challenges of the 21st century. An inclusive corporate structure, a solid track record of accomplishments and an objective approach to issues will be harnessed to tackle future challenges. CCEA engages working groups to involve more Canadians in this important work.

Design of Protected Areas

CCEA will continue to facilitate discussion and advance issues associated with protected area design. CCEA intends to continue its leadership role with respect to the development and use of hierarchical ecosystem classification schemes and gap analysis (coarse filter) approaches for protected area establishment. Jurisdictions have also expressed a desire for Council to complement these with fine filter approaches such as hotspots of biological diversity and species at risk. Other interests include protecting forests, freshwater, and wildlife and particularly the needs of large protected areas. See Wild Places for Wild Life conference proceeding from the joint CCEA and Circumpolar Protected Areas Network workshop in Yellowknife.

Designing protected areas must also consider long-term viability and sustainability, particularly under the threat of climate change and its impacts and the many other stresses that affect protected ecological areas and their surroundings. Therefore CCEA will aid its collaborators, participants, and clients, especially jurisdictions, by pursuing opportunities to address key issues associated with of ecological integrity. Exploring ecological integrity will include consideration of the full range of natural and anthropogenic threats and their impacts on protected areas, including the species and ecosystems that they are designed to protect.

Stewardship and Management of Protected Areas

There is growing recognition that effective stewardship and management requires a careful blending of natural science and social science. In its ongoing development and application of sound conservation science, CCEA can continue to be an effective advocate of both aspects. Finding ways to effectively apply the science behind ecological integrity, the restoration of damaged ecosystems, and helping promote assessment methods, particularly through the development of a common suite of criteria and indicators are some important areas in need of attention. CCEA will also advance discussion and understanding of measures of effective management.

Regarding human dimensions, jurisdictions require advice and assistance on social and economic issues both within and beyond the boundaries of protected areas. CCEA will help advance discussion on ecosystem approaches to management, as well as ways and means to cultivate partnerships and promote best practices in the working landscape that are sympathetic to the needs of protected areas.

Data and Information

In the past CCEA has led the creation and use of the Canadian Conservation Areas Database (CCAD). This work will be enhanced by exploring opportunities to improve the content and access to this data. One goal is to develop on-line updating through a distributed network of authorized agencies as well as developing and applying protected area standards such as the IUCN classification scheme for management objectives and other schemes as needed and appropriate to the Canadian situation. The content of CCAD can be enhanced by including more non-government protected areas and protected marine areas. The Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System is an exciting new project that will extend the benefits of CCAD and improve collaboration among many groups.

Communications

CCEA has a respectable record communicating scientific information on emerging and topical issues. CCEA will continue to organize and participate in forums to discuss and share information on priority issues such as ecological integrity and protected areas design and stewardship. Future workshops, conferences and ‘Eco’ newsletters, publications and website will help strengthen the ties between the scientific community and other partners in conservation. A new quarterly electronic protected areas news bulletin will also be a priority to strengthen the ties within Canadian protected area community. See Publications and Tools.

Reporting is also an important part of CCEA’s business. Jurisdictional reporting and contributions to national and international reporting have been successful and will continue. Preparing a national State of the Protected Areas (SoPA) report is a major undertaking that CCEA intends to pursue with its members and partners. The report will move beyond describing on-the-ground jurisdictional and national progress on protected area establishment to a more detailed assessment of ecosystem integrity, identifying research needs, advancing ecological sustainability, and recommending future directions.

Ecological indicators are not only scientific tools for management, but also provide a means to communicate complex information. Several agencies are already involved in the development of ecological indicators. CCEA will make it a strategic priority to focus on the numerous indicator activities being advanced by a variety of agencies as they relate to ecological integrity and apply these in the proposed State of Protected Areas report.